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World Health Organization calls emergency meeting over Zika virus
Posted On Jan 30 2016
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Ms Mani said there has been an ongoing surveillance on Zika virus by the Ministry from past year including clean-up campaigns against mosquito vectors for dengue (which is the same vector for Chikungunya and Zika Virus). In India, we have to double mosquito control measures since our tropical weather leads to the prevalence of the Aedes mosquito and the immunity levels of much of the population are low. About 80% of those who get the virus won’t have symptoms making it hard to tell whether a pregnant woman has been infected. Most of those countries are in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
“What the CDC is recommending is really a warning or alert to pregnant women to think about where they are going”.
The virus is spread by mosquito bites and has been linked to birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil and possibly to a paralyzing condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome. “We know a lot of people from our state travel to parts of the world where Zika has been transmitted”, Madoff said.
There have been two lab-confirmed cases of Zika in Alberta, one in 2013 and one in 2016.
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which causes mild fever, rash and red eyes.
The World Health Organization says it is convening an emergency committee on Monday to decide if the Zika virus outbreak should be declared an worldwide health emergency.
“There is some evidence that mother-to-child transmission may occur, there have been a few reports identifying the possibility of transmission of Zika virus through transfusion of infected blood or possible sexual transmission of Zika virus”.
“We encourage, particularly pregnant women, or those who are considering pregnancy, to consider postponing travel to the countries that are affected”, Philpott said. Babies with microcephaly are born with small heads and potential brain damage. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, which are eventually expected in the USA, and there are questions and concerns about other ways it could be spread.
